but I never knew what to call it. I’m a high achiever and have been a perfectionist for as long as I can remember. I find it difficult to face situations with a distinct possibility of failure. Watching my kids in that situation – despite all I said before and genuinely believing about learning to lose – triggers my anxiety.
The sports education and mental health support site, TrueSport, says that a parent’s anxiety can impact their child athletes. TrueSport consultant Kevin Chapman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and founder of The Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, writes that parental anxiety is common and can be managed.
He recommends talking about it with your athlete, trying to relax during the game, recognizing the process of growth that happens with each game – learning skills, tactics, strategy – and helping them through their feelings by listening, rewarding effort over results, and ultimately, managing extreme anxiety before it becomes a problem.
The site also features articles I wish I had as a younger person, addressing perfectionism and body dysmorphia, performance anxiety, and more.
The truth is that I worry about putting too much pressure on my kids to succeed in sports and elsewhere. My Dad was a loving father and husband but had high expectations. For me, his oldest child, it was as in academic achievement. I was expected to have perfect grades, behave, and be an excellent example for my three younger siblings.
Photo Credit Ben Hershey